Learn to read Georgian
The Georgian alphabet
Georgian is written in its own script, Mkhedruli: 33 letters, each with one sound. Open a letter to hear it, see how it’s said and find words that use it.
All 33 letters
In alphabetical order, from ა to ჰ.
- ა, ani, a
- ბ, bani, b
- გ, gani, g
- დ, doni, d
- ე, eni, e
- ვ, vini, v
- ზ, zeni, z
- თ, tani, t
- ი, ini, i
- კ, k'ani, k'
- ლ, lasi, l
- მ, mani, m
- ნ, nari, n
- ო, oni, o
- პ, p'ari, p'
- ჟ, zhani, zh
- რ, rae, r
- ს, sani, s
- ტ, t'ari, t'
- უ, uni, u
- ფ, pari, p
- ქ, kani, k
- ღ, ghani, gh
- ყ, q'ari, q'
- შ, shini, sh
- ჩ, chini, ch
- ც, tsani, ts
- ძ, dzili, dz
- წ, ts'ili, ts'
- ჭ, ch'ari, ch'
- ხ, khani, kh
- ჯ, jani, j
- ჰ, hae, h
How Georgian writing works
One letter, one sound
A letter is always said the same way. Once you know the letters, you can read any word out loud, even one you’ve never seen.
No capital letters
There’s no upper and lower case. Names, the start of a sentence and shop signs all use the same letters.
Nothing to unlearn
Mkhedruli isn’t related to the Latin or Cyrillic alphabets, so there are no false friends: ა looks nothing like a.
Spelled as it sounds
Words are written the way they’re said. No silent letters, and no spelling rules to learn on top.
Sounds to practise
Most Georgian sounds exist in English. These are the ones that take practice: the ejectives, said with a short catch in the throat, and a few sounds made further back in the mouth.
- კk'ani, k'a sharp k with no puff of air
- პp'ari, p'a sharp p with no puff of air
- ტt'ari, t'a sharp t with no puff of air
- ღghani, ghgh, a throaty sound like a French r
- ყq'ari, q'a sharp k made far back in the throat
- წts'ili, ts'a sharp ts with no puff of air
- ჭch'ari, ch'a sharp ch with no puff of air
- ხkhani, khkh, like the ch in Scottish loch